TikTok is making it easier for content creator managers to negotiate brand deals on their platform with the all new “Talent Manager Portal.”
This new portal will let managers analyze, execute, and analyze various brand deals for their clients. It came as a new addition to TikTok’s Creator Marketplace, its custom platform that allows brands and content creators to collaborate on various pieces of content on the app.
Talent Manager Portal is currently in alpha testing, and a number of agencies are testing it, according to TechCrunch. TikTok has noted that talent managers will only have access to their client’s Marketplace accounts. They will not have access to their client’s actual TikTok account; therefore, unable to post content to the account.
TikTok’s steadfast on putting content creators first
TikTok first launched its Creator Marketplace back in 2019. Since its launch, the ByteDance-owned social media company has focused its efforts on supporting content creators on the platform. More specifically, it joined companies like Snap, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook to monetize creators’ content.
Creator Marketplace also opened up its API in 2021. Marketing agencies like Captiv8 and Influential were able to gain access to first-party data right from their own systems.
Talent Manager Portal eliminates unnecessary manual labor
Prior to TMP, brand deals were often pitched to content creators’ DMs in TikTok. Massive brand partnerships could get lost in the swath of DMs creators would get, making it difficult to build their influencer business on the platform.
TMP puts the power into the hands of the creators, as they’re the ones the brands want to go after. Using the Creator Marketplace dashboard, brands are able to reach out directly, which are called “direct invitation,” or through “application campaigns.” The latter means that the brand will be able to create a brief and pitch to the creators themselves, similar to how artists pitch themselves to Spotify editorial playlists.
As Instagram’s Reels, YouTube’s Shorts, and TikTok all implement features to swoon content creators over, creators will hopefully be the ones coming out ahead on this one. YouTube recently announced that their ad revenue will be shared with Shorts.
